Cathode-loading machine



Sept. 23, 1930.` w. T BURNS 1,776,617

CATHODE LOADING MACHINE EiledJune le, 1927 5 sheets-snef 2 IN VENTO/eWiL/.s uR/v'.

Sept. 23, 1930.

W. T. BURNS cATHoDE LOADING MACHINE Filed June 1e, 1927 3 sheets-Smet 3NVENTR WiL/.S Z750/PNS.

ORNE Y Patented Sept. 23, 1930 i l i UNITED STATES PATENT oFFiCEApplicationled .Tune 1.6, 1927. Serial No. 199,203.

The invention relates to apparatusfor hanstruction of the stationaryplatform of thedling plates or flat slabs. loading machine; e y e Whilenot limited theretol the embodiment Fig. 9 is a plan view of one cornerof said of the invention illustrated is adapted for stationary platform;f

use in transferring cathode plates. In prac- Fig. 10 is a section online 10-10of Fig. 9 H55 tice, such cathode plates are frequentlytransthrough the discharge lip of the stationary ported in piles ona carto a. position in which platform. y l

a charging machine unloads them and in- Referring in detail to thedrawings, A desserts-them in the refining furnace. i ignates a suitableflat car arranged to travel e Y The machine illustrated ,is adapted tore- 011 GICkS l- The `flOWI 0'/ 0f the flat Cal" has 60 eeve bundles ofplates .from an Overhead lsecured therete a seresef transversely.excrane and to hold them while supported on tending angle ironsgone ofwhich 1s shown edge andmeans are provided for turning the ai? w2- Theupper edges a3 of the angle ironsstack or bundle of plates through anangle Collectively serve as a support for a pile er 1 Aen be depositedflatwise in a pile on suitable The Plates hele en the flat C211 111 hlSWay cleats or angle irons carried by a flat car ae/ Supported 111 SllCllIIlaIlIleI-hatthere is adapted to carry the plates into juXtaposi- 'eSleeee leee'Ween the 10P v0f the H001 G @h dton `to ,Tening furnace SOthat the/.arm the undersideof thelowermost plate... This of the Chargingmachine can engage thepack permits the arm of a suitablelcliarging nia-70 y `0 Fig. 4 is an enlargedcentral longitudinal the fmm 103sindicated. 31525' y of plates from the underside.` Chine te Pese belowvthe Pile ef platee Se that The invention will be fully `understood whenilfted 1t gan mim-Ove them' f. from the following specification whenread M 7 lmpmv? loadmg machme. mdtcated as in connection with theAaccompanying draw- @Whole at B15 Mliangeci to recel?? ich@ plates ingsand the features of novelty will be P as Shown 1n.thelr upright pognon.mFle'r` 75 pointed out with particularity in the apl and n.) deposltthem m 3J atwlse poslonlas i. pended claims. In the drawings-#- Shl'n11n ltgg h. il 1 y .bu 5 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a loading mat.111e Oja .utglmafc .me lm@ des a; sten chine embodying my inventionandsliowing la y rectangurrame 0 ma e up of Chan" 3 a fiat car adaptedto receive the lates carnel lroms or Slmlda'r Stlucturll Shapeslhe 80 T.d b th .10a din machine Q y p frame being provided withsuitable bearingsle y e g for supporting axles-..12 e and 14 carrying wheels 16 formovably supporting the inay Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary view of a portionof Fig. l with certain parts shownin the osition to which they are movedto transchine on tracks 1S. e l A Su 3 orted above the frame l0 b`meansof e5 er the plates from the loading machine to Suitatpeuprghtjstruts @Oiga xgd- 0l. Star the @at ca e i T tionary platform 22and steps .24,are` pro- .Flg- 3 le e' Plan 716W on a Teducd Scare videdto enable workmen `or operators to O the movable Platform Shown m Flg'l5 reach the platform, thesteps being braced pto section showing ythe Qreversible' operating Igleehe-Illem OI' e-etuetmg the movable plee thestationary platform 22 on armsBOwhich 10III 1; e Y are securedto `andmove with a shaft32 Fig.V 5 1S a plan vleW O Flg. With Parts mounted insuitable bearings carried by the 4h5 omitted Mld PZLT'CS ShOWIl inSection.; under frame of the machine.H Arms 34,195 Fig. 6 is a verticaltransverse section on formed integrally with or secured to thearmsline/6 6 Of Flg. 4e; 30 extend atan angle slightly greater than Fig. 7is a .vertical transverse sect-ion on a right angle from the arms 3()and serve in .line 7--7 of Fig. 4; one position to` support a pile ofplates` on Fig. 8 is a detail section showing the contheir edges asindicatedfin Fig. 1.; That isI A niovableplatform 28 is supported aboveof substantially degrees so that they can Steek 0f Plates es ndeetedeelPrTlJFg- '2- 65 40 mounted in fixed bearings 42. At its lower endthis shaft carries a bevel gear 44'which 'meshes with a similar gear 46secured to a transversely extending shaft 48 Journalled` in bearings 50secured toa plate 52 carried by the frame 10. This plate'supports thelchannels 54 to which is 'secured a casting 56 carrying bearings for Ltheworm shaft 40.

The shaft 48 at its opposite ends carries sprocket wheels 58 and 60 fromwhich are trained sprocket chains 62 and 64 which, respectively,engagesprockets 66 and 68 carried at the opposite ends of a transverselyextending shaft 70 mounted in bearings 72 supported on the frame plate52. Y

Shaft 70 carries a spline7 4 which engages a' suitable groove formed inthe sleeve 76 slidingly mounted on said shaft 70. This sleeve has keyedthereto a pair of friction discs 7 8`and80 which are so arranged thateither disc may be brought into operative frictional contact with adrive cone 82.- The friction drive cone 82 is carried `by* a shaft 84which is connected by a suitable coupling 86 with the armature shaft 88of a driving motor 90. The oppositely arranged discs 7 8 and 80 as showninF ig. 5 are in neutral pol sition that is, they. are both clear of thedrive 35 'the sleeve76. The Vcollar 92 is retained by Ymeans of a nut 94which abuts a shoulder y 96 formed on the sleeve so as not to bind vsaidcollar. lStanding upwardly from the collar 92 arerarms 98 which supporta trans- `versely extending pin 100 to which ispivoted a link 102 whichin turn is connected by a` suitablel pivot pin with the free end of anarm 104 of a shift lever 106 pivoted on a stud 108 carried in suitablebrackets 110 secured to oneof the channels 54 forming part of the frameWork of the machine.

The fixed platform 22 of the loading ma 'chine is formed in twosections'bolted together near the center by studs 114 indicated in Fig.8. The marginalyedges of the platform are flanged asindicated at 116vand the entire upper surface of the platform is pitched or canted to aslight extent so'as to j permit any accumulation of solution `which scorner of the platform 22. A fiange 120 drips from the plates handled todrain to- Ward the outlet spout 118 formed at one rear tends around theopening 122 formed in the fixed platform 22 so as to prevent anyaccumulated liquid from finding its way to the operating mechanismlocated below said fixed platform. The opening 120 (Fig. 7 in theplatform 22 is provided to permit the passage therethrough oftheoperating rack 36 and the arms 30 which support the-moving orswinging .platform 28.

Theswinging platform 28 is provided with raised bearing pads 124 whichare preferably serrated as indicated at 126 in Fig. 1.to preventslippage of the plates P when they are are in' the vertical position ofF ig. 1.

In operation it will be readily understood that the plurality 'of platesdeposited edgewise on the movable platform 28 can bereadily supported ina substantially vertical posi` tion against the upright'arms 84. rlheplatform, it is clear, will be held against -overturning because of theself-locking connection of the worm 88 and worm sector 86. The loadingmachine can be movedalong suitable tracks 18 to any desiredl position,for example,into proximity to a flatcar as indicated in F ig. 1. Uponreaching the fiat car the operator will shift the lever 106 so as tobring the appropriate friction disc 78 or 80 into engagement withthefriction drive cone 82 so as to cause the movable platform I 28 to beswung to the position of Fig. 2 so las to deposit the plates on vtheupstanding angle irons a3 carried by the flat car. rIhe loading machinewill then be backed away from the flat car so as to withdraw the arms 84from the space below the stack vof plates I resting on the angle ironsa3. The shift vlever 106 will then.beagainractuated to returnthe'movable platform 28 tothe substantially. horizontal position of Fig.1 so that the machine is in condition -to receive another supply orbundle of plates from the overhead crane. f

Of course, it is clear that,'if desired, the

f reverse operation may be effected so as to unload plates from a fiatcar onto the loading machine. Y t f Instead of rocking the shaft 32 bymeans of a worm andV worm wheel segment and re-l lated mechanism asshown, may substitute in place thereof a spur gear segment and piniondriven through suitable spur gear and reduction .gear direct connectedto an electric motor equipped with an automatic cut-ofiv switch, saidswitch being adapted to stop theL motor at any predetermined' positionof travel of the movable platform. Various other speed reducing meansmay be used between the motor and themovabl'e platform.

While I have described with great particularity certain specific detailsof the embodiment of the invention illustrated, it is not to beconstrued that I am limited thereto since various modifications orsubstitution ofequivalents may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the invention as defined in the appended claimsThat I claim is l. A machine of the class described including a mobile.frame having pivotally supportedthereon a movablev platform havinggrooves formed therein adapted to receive the lower edges of a pluralityof plates, means on said platform for holding said plates insubstantially upright positions, means for rocking said platform so asto deposit said plates flatwise on a suitable support and a xed platformabove said rocking means.

2. A loading machine of the character described including a mobileframe, a supporting shaft carried thereby, a platform supported thereon,plate holding arms extending radially outward from said shaft andsub-vstantially or approximately at right angles to the surface of saidplatform, and means for turning said shaft through an angle ofapproximately 90 degrees and a xed platform secured to said frame abovesaid turning means adapted to shield the latter.

3. A loading machine of the characterdescribed including a mobileVframe, a 'plate supporting platform, L-shaped members secured thereto, ashaft-carrying said members, a worm sector secured to said shaft, a wormfor turning the latter, a motor and mecha-` nism between the motor andsaid worm for reversing the direction of rotation of said worm and afixed platform below the plate supporting platform adapted to catch thedrip from the plates handled.

4. A loading machine of the character described including a'mobileframe,a platform fixedly securedA above said frame, a shaft suptoa verticallydisposed shaft supported by said frame, a jack shaft carrying abevel'gear andsprockets operatively connected with said verticalshaft,fa second jack shaft carrying, i

sprockets and friction drive discs, chains con- -v necting the sprocketson said jack shafts, a motor driven cone arranged to co-operate withsaid friction drive discs and means for engaging either of said discswith said motor driven cone.

Y In witnesswhereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

WILLIS T. BURNS.

ported by the frame below said fixed plats Y form, a movable platformnormally supported on said shaft in a position above said fixedplatform, plate holding arms supported by said shaft, motor driven meanscarried by said frame below said xed platform adapted to turn said shaftthrough an angle of approximately degrees.

5. A loading machine of the character described including a frame, ashaft supported thereby carrying a movable platform `and upright arms,`a gear sector secured to said shaft, a worm coacting therewith andreversible driving mechanism operatively connected with said worm, afixed platform in a y; `plane between said movable platform and saiddriving mechanism. y

6. A loading machine of the character described comprising a wheeledframe, a xed platform secured thereto, a swingable platform `adapted tobe normally supported in substantially horizontal position above saidfixed platform, a shaft located below said fixed platform for supportingsaid swingable platform, a worm sector secured to said shaft, a wormmeshing withsaid sector and secured izo

